Oscar-winning director and former Scientologist Paul Haggis supports Vanity Fair's story that actress Nazanin Boniadi was auditioned by the Church of Scientology to be Tom Cruise's real-life girlfriend.

In an email to ShowBiz411.com, Haggis says he has known Boniadi for three years.

"Naz was embarrassed by her unwitting involvement in this incident and never wanted it to come out, so I kept silent," Haggis wrote in the email published on the website Sunday. "I was deeply disturbed by how the highest ranking members of a church could so easily justify using one of their members; how they so callously punished her and then so effectively silenced her when it was done."

The Church of Scientology told ABC News in a statement today that "The entire story is hogwash. There was no project, secret or otherwise, ever conducted by the Church to find a bride (audition or otherwise) for any member."

I am a volunteer advocate for victims of the Narconon scam. I am a former scientologist. I post anonymously. Mary McConnell is my long time nom de plume. Feel free to contact me for assistance in righting the wrongs.